Removable top and closure for containers



Se t. 7, 1937. E. HILDEBRANDT ,0

REMOVABLE TOP AND CLOSURE FOR CONTAINERS Original Filed Feb. 25, 1932 A-l TTORNEYS.

Patentedisep't. 7, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT ori ice.

Edward Hildebrandt, San Franciscm-Cam.

Application February 23, 1932, Serial No. 594,629

Renewed September 24, 1936 2 Claims.

The device comprises a cover and a removable portion disposed beneath the cover, this portion being secured to the top of the can and separated therefrom by aline of scoring. Apuncturing device is used in connection with the removable portion, and when this device is manually actuated, it will first puncture the top of the container at one point on the scoring and then the device can be used as a handle for removing the portion from the top of the can, the portion being torn along the line of scoring during its removal. This portion can then be thrown away and the cover used for sealing the opening in the top of the container.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, and the novel features of the device will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of a container showing the cover in position;-

, Figure 2 is a top plan view with the cover removed and showing the portion of thecan top which is removable;

Figure 3 is a'section along the line 3-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a sectional view showing the operation of the puncturing device;

Figure 5 is a side elevation of a container partly shown in section and illustrating how the cover can be hinged to the container; and

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail section.

In carrying out my invention, I make use of a container, indicated generally at I. This container may be of any size and shape and may be made of any, material. The device is designed primarily to be used in connection with hermetically sealed containers in which the contents of the containers are vacuum packed. The top 2 of the container is secured to the side wall 3 in the usual manner as. by crimping the periphery. of

the top about 'a flange carried by the side wall 3, as indicated at 4.

A portion 5, (see Figure 2 of the top), is depressed, and Figure 6,clearly shows how the sides 6 of the depressed portion 5 are inclined slightly 5 at an angle. The sides 6 are rounded as at i so as to provide a downwardly-extending portion 8. This portion is defined from the bottom 5 by a line of scoring 9, this scoring extending partly through the metal, but not entirely therethrou'gh. This 10 construction permits the bottom 5 to be readily torn from the downwardly-extending portion a. but prior to' its being torn, the contents of. the container is hermetically sealed because the scoring does not extend deep enough 'to break the seal.

Acov er I 0 has straight walls I i and an outwardly-extending flange l2, (see Figure 6).

However, when the cover is disposed in the panel formed by the depressed portion 5, the straight walls Ii will contact with the inclined walls 6 and will be moved into the inclined posi-- tion shown in Figure 6. This will cause a'fric' tional engagement between the cover and the wall 6, which will act as an airtight seal to the contents of the container after the portion 5 has been removed. The cover in is provided with a recess i3 in its under surface for a purpose hereinafter described, and it will be noted that the curved portion ll of the cover does not extend down to the rounded portion 1. The cover I0 is provided with a handle [5, by means of which the cover may be removed from the container.

I will now describe the means for initially puncturing the bottom 5 at a point on the scoring, this. same means also being used for removing the portion 5 from the container. As already stated, the line of scoring 9 extends entirely around the portion 5 at the juncture between the portion and the downwardly-extending edge 8. A puncturing device, indicated generally at IS in Figure 2, com- 40 prises a ring-shaped member i1 hinged to the portion 5 by means of a bearing l8 that is spotwelded, or otherwise secured to the portion 5.

A prong l9, or puncturing element is carried by the ring I1 and has its free end 20 curved downwardly so as to enter the line of scoring 9 at one point. It should be noted that the line of scoring 9 is-in the shape of an oval and that, it does not extend around the entire top of the can. It

is obvious, however, that the line of scoring may 59 take any shape and cover any predetermined area oi the can top. The free end of the ring I I is turned up slightly as shown in Figure 3 and this permits the ring to be readily grasped when the cover i0 is removed. The recess i3 in the cover ring I! and swings it upwardly, as shown by the full lines in Figure 4, the ring fulcruming about the hinge il during this movement. This drives the puncturing element I! downwardly through the weakened portion of the can top, the weakened portion being the line of scoring 8. The initial movement of the puncturing element It will not only force its way through the line of scoring, but will also bend a portion 5a of the removable portion 5 downwardly at an angle, (see Figure 4) The operator continues to hold the handle I! and pulls it upwardly and away from the point of puncture and this will cause the portion 5 to be removed from the can top as shown by the dotted lines in Figure 4. The movement is continued until the entire portion 5 is removed from the can top, the tearing taking place along the line of scoring 9. When the portion 5 is removed, the opening 2| thus provided will have a downwardly-extending edge 8 extending entirely therearound. This edge will not be jagged, and,

therefore, will cause no harm to the user of the can.

In Figure 5, I show a spoon 22 which may be used for removing the contents from the can. If the can contains cofiee and a person wishes to remove a level spoon full of coffee, the rim of the spoon may be moved across the edge 8, as illustrated, and this edge will automatically act as a leveler. If desired, the cover Ill may be hingedly secured to the can or container top 2 by a flexible strip of metal 23. In this way, the cover forms a permanent part of the container.

The contents within the container will be kept fresh because the cover is closed after each use and forms an air-tight seal for the opening 2i.

While I have shown only the preferred form of my invention, it should be understood that various changes or modifications may be made within the scope or the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a container having a depressed tearing strip defined in one wall thereof by an integral, outwardly-extending, peripheral rim portion and a weakening groove or score at the line of juncture of said strip and rim, a lever member secured to the external surface of said tearing strip adjacent one end thereof, said lever member having an unsecured, manually engageable portion at one end thereof and having a tearing-strip-severing portion at the other end thereof, said tearingstrip-severing portion being disposed in substantial abutment with said peripheral rim and therefore in direct alignment with said groove, and effective, when said manually engageable portion is lifted, to initiate severance of said strip directly at its line of juncture with said peripheral rim portion.

2. In a container having a closing wall, a continuous, inwardly projecting flange depending from the inner side of said wall and deflning an opening I therein having a straight side remote from any edge of said wall, an integral, outwardly-extending, peripheral rim secured to said flange at its inner end, a tearing strip located within said rim and closing said opening in said wall, a weakening groove or score at the line of juncture of said strip and rim, and means secured to said tearing'strip to initiate severance of said strip from said rim and to remove said strip therefrom, said flange and rim along said straight side together constituting a spoon leveler within said container when the tearing strip has been removed to effect an opening therein.

EDWARD HILDEBRANDT. 

